Change of Heart
by Galerians
Summary: He was supposed to be her cute, if a bit whiny, baby brother. But since when did that change?
1. Chapter 1

**Galerians, in.**

Summary: He was supposed to be her cute, if a bit whiny, baby brother. But since when did that change?

A/N: My take on Miku's and Mikuo's relationship (isn't it clear already that this fic contains incest?). Do forgive me if there are many errors; it's been a long time since I write another English fic. Hopefully you can give me constructive critics.

Warning: AU, AR, or canon, I can't be sure. Since I don't know what kind of story would be considered canon in tis' fandom.

Disclaimer: I own Vocaloid as much as I own the sun, methinks.

Enjoy!

**Change of Heart**

It all started when she had a fever.

It should have been a big day. Her class had finally chosen a maid café for the school festival this year. It was not an easy task, getting everyone in her class to agree, but thanks to her herculean effort and her refusal to give up, she had finally completed the objective. And since she was at such energetic state, she volunteered to stay up late at school, if only to make the preparations completed just a little bit early.

Some of her friends, who also volunteered for the job, had already called it a day and went home, yet she stayed behind. Maybe she was just too excited, or the fact that once she put her mind into something, she couldn't think about anything else, she didn't realize that the sky had begun changing color as when her friends left and finally colored deep grey when she finally decided that she was too exhausted to concentrate on the job anymore.

It seemed that the saying that Lady Fortuna wasn't always generous had been proven true that day. Not only she forgot to bring any umbrella (even though she had seen the weather forecast yesterday), when she tried to contact her home, she also realized that she didn't even remember to bring her cell today. All because the only thing she could think about today was the preparation for the maid café and the (cutest in the world, she thought) costume.

Talk about being over-enthusiastic.

And so she ran, cutting through the heavy droplets of heaven's tears with only her bag as her cover. She'd thought that compared to the bubbling happiness in her heart, this rain would mean nothing.

~•~

Yeah. As if.

And look at her now. Face as red as the setting sun, and cold, slick sweat covering her lithe frame, her insides burning from the illness she had received from underestimating the Wheel of Fortune. On top of that, it was the day of the festival, the day she had been waiting for with such fervor.

She wanted to cry, or scream, as loud as she could as to curse her rotten luck, but alas, her body was left with no energy. Never mind screaming, all she could do right now was to lie on her bed, with painful cough that sometimes burst through her lungs and exploded through her dry mouth.

Oh, how she wished to turn back time-

"Miku…?" her train of thoughts was halted due to the sound of her cute, whiny little brother. "Miku, you okay?"

She opened her mouth, but the only thing came out was a strangled sound that was nothing like her usual beautiful voice.

Her little brother came to the side of her bed, looking at her with concern glowing through his teal orbs (the same color as her own eyes). Oh, her little brother, always as caring and loving as he had ever been. Her cute, cute, small little baby brother-

"I thought I told you staying behind at school was a bad idea, idiot."

Oh yeah. She forgot that ever since **that** happened, he ceased being her 'baby brother'.

"Can't you see I'm already suffering enough as it is?" she managed to say with her hoarse voice. "I don't need you to pour salt to my open wound…"

"It was your own fault," he shrugged. "I reminded you again and again to bring your umbrella, but you were too excited about that café of yours to hear me out."

"But I was-" she never finished that sentence as another round of long, painful cough seized her again.

"You better stop talking," he quickly walked to her side and poured her a glass of water. "Here, drink this."

This time, she obeyed his order without as much as a protest. It felt so much like bliss for her throat.

"Ahh, that sure hit the spot…"

"Good," Mikuo took the now empty glass, putting a bowl of steaming water on the bedside table. "Here, I brought you warm water. Clean yourself up."

Miku didn't even know where it came from. But when she saw Mikuo's retreating form, her mouth just spoke on its own.

"Hey, you think you can do it for me?"

The boy stiffened in his track. There was a long silence as Mikuo tried to register the words.

"…Excuse me?"

"I-I'm not saying that twice…!" Miku, who finally realized what kind of thing she had just uttered, quickly turned around to hide the mighty blush on her face.

Another long silence ensued, accompanied by the twitching of Mikuo's left eye. They stared at each other face for a long while, it kept going and going until hers almost exploded with embarrassment.

"Miku…" he started slowly while rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Please, and I mean _please_,tell me you were just joking…"

"L-look, it's not like I have a choice, do I? I'm sure you know about my body flexibility problem, and without someone's help, I can't reach my back…!" she retorted hastily. She didn't care if it was some half-assed excuse; it was the only thing she could think of to save what little left of her face.

But she suddenly choked when she heard Mikuo's next word.

"…Fine…" he grumbled quietly, but only after letting out a long sigh. "Turn around."

Miku did as she was ordered, all the while cannot believe her good luck (or bad? Who knows). She just finished undoing her pajamas when she felt some weight on the bed right behind her. A prickling feeling on her back told her about the intense gaze directed at her, but before she got to speak up, a warm wet towel was suddenly pressed up her skin.

"H-hinh…!" it was a fricative sound, something that was completely unintentional. And she dreaded the fact that it wasn't because of discomfort, but because his ministrations just felt…almost too good.

"Keep still," growled the boy behind her, yet his tone was more amused than annoyed. "I can't do my job properly if you keep squirming like this."

"I-I'm trying…" she told him, not without some effort. An intense heat crept into her face, flooding it with color that is the same, yet different from the one caused by her illness. "B-but I can't… if you keep doing that…"

"Keep doing what…?" he asked with an innocent voice, though the wicked smile on his lips told otherwise. With a gentle and smooth movement, he brought the towel to her sides, just below her armpit. His smile got wider when he saw her writhing harder, noticing how her back arched from pleasure.

To tease her even further, he reached the other side with his hand which was cold, as opposed to the warm towel.

"Kyau…!" she squealed.

"You know, if it was some other girls who let out that "Kyau", I might have thought it was cute. Alas, it's only you."

"Are you implying that I'm not cute?" she suddenly felt angry.

"Nope." he answered coolly while rubbing her sides with the warm towel, making the female tealette ticklish. "You certainly have qualities. Your skin is so smooth and flawless. You have a beautiful face. You have a perfect height; not too tall and not too short. And even your sweat are naturally fragrant." he said as he put his face dangerously close to her neck and inhaled deeply.

Miku didn't even register that her breath had gotten ragged. She could only feel Mikuo's hot breath upon the crook of her neck, and the rough, calloused skin that caressed her sides.

Wait, since when did the towel changed into Mikuo's hands?

Miku was honestly surprised, and extremely conscious, when he took her into his lap. Were those supposed to be her little brother's hands? Since when had they felt so different? Even his lap…she definitely had never felt so right to be sitting there, as if it was a special seat made for her and her alone.

Her blissful musing continued until a jolt ran through her body. His hand found her chin, slowly tilting it around until their faces were facing each other.

And he kissed her softly on the lips, just like that.

"And lastly…" he licked his lips so sexily. "You taste like everything sweet put together."

Miku was simply speechless. And Mikuo took advantage from her moment of vulnerability to take another lick at her lips, and another one…and another one. She completely forgot her state of nudity when Mikuo gathered her into his arms, embracing her small frame against his bigger one with so much gentleness it almost hurts, while kissing her deeply until she felt her whole body went limp.

"You aren't _just_ cute. You are blisteringly, unbearably _adorable_ that I can't help but melt everytime I look at you," he groaned. "You are just so freaking _irresistible_ that I can barely hold myself back everytime I'm with you…"

His head suddenly plummeted down, and moment later, she realized that he was planting light kisses along the smooth skin of her neck. His lips stopped at one point where he let it stay for almost half a minute before letting go. And from the mischievous, if slightly satisfied, smile that adorned his face, she almost gasped out loud when she realized what he had given her.

A hickey.

"M-Mikuo…?" she inquired with a hitched breath. "W-what… why did you…?"

"You…" he breathed, somehow sounding so seductive and possessive, yet so romantic right at the same time. "…are now mine."

Right after that declaration, Mikuo stood up, and walked away as if nothing was out of ordinary. Miku just sat on her bed, still oblivious that her upper body was still naked, her train of thoughts a complete wreck.

"Rest well," she heard his last words before the door closed. "And get better."

Only a second after he left her alone, Miku's body couldn't hold anymore. She fell unceremoniously onto her bed, her breath still husky and her face beet red. Her fever had seemingly been forgotten, the only thing she was able to sense was the burning heat Mikuo's touch had given to her skin and the flaming passion his kisses cursed her lips with. The truth of what they had just done finally came crashing down, as Miku sluggishly pulled the blanket until it draped fully over her.

'What…just happened…?' she asked herself silently, not daring to actually utter that question out loud. She touched her lips, still tingly from his lusty kisses. Her fingers then reached to her neck, right at the bruised spot where he had marred her skin, her brain vividly remembering his words back then. She wondered, did this mean that from this moment onward, she belonged to him only?

Even though the normal her would have been endlessly annoyed by the idea, now it only served to cause her body to shiver in delight, her skin tingled even more as if she couldn't bear to wait for the next time he touched her like that again.

"What is happening to me?" she clutched her head, her voice muffled by the thick blanket, trying to perish the thoughts. But her imaginations kept rolling, showing her more and more naughty images of her and Mikuo doing unspeakable, if so desirable, things. "Mou~, Mikuo! This is all your fault!"

While Miku was still rolling about on her bed, a tall figure just outside her bedroom leaned his built body against the door. His right hand balled into a fist, and his left hand covering his mouth, he closed his eyes and tried to register what he had just done.

"Goddammit…" he muttered quietly, the curse more directed to himself than anything else. "This is why I hate being close to her…"

No, what he actually hated wasn't the close proximity. If anything else, it was the opposite.

What he despised was that everytime he did so, he would (almost definitely) lose control of himself and did things that should have just stayed in his imagination.

And now, he had gone too far.

He had taken advantage of her, in her moments of weakness. He didn't even give her any chance to have any say; he just made everything irrevocable selfishly.

What kind of brother would he be, if he let his egoism continue?

He straightened himself, standing tall to his full height. With his hands falling to his sides, a determined look shown on his face, he took a step and walked away from Miku's bedroom.

It was impossible to change the past, but he sure as hell could shape the future.

To be Continued

I sure hope this fic takes your interest. I haven't drawn the whole plot yet, but I'll try to do so as soon as possible. Please accompany my struggle till then.

Thank you.

**Galerians, out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Galerians, in.**

Summary: He was supposed to be her cute, if a bit whiny, baby brother. But since when did that change?

A/N: After falling into a complete musing-mode for a week, I've succeeded in designing the whole storyline (the blue print, of course, not the actual story). Consequently, now I've got two choices as to how I present my chapter/s: either I put a really LONG one or I just divide it into a few parts. I pick the second; that'd help me to put a steadier update (I'm not certain about it, but I sure do hope so!).

Setting: AU, AR, or canon, I can't be sure. Since I don't know what kind of story would be considered canon in tis' fandom.

Disclaimer: Surely there will be a hitman going for my head if I go for the slightest attempt at claiming Vocaloid as my property! And I'm still a virgin! *WTF*

Enjoy!

**I Want You Back**

It happened years ago. It was a rainy day, and her brother hadn't gotten back home from his English course. She was waiting frantically at home, and even though her mother had reprimanded her for being such a worrywart, she couldn't contain her anxiousness and kept pacing back and forth in the living room, all the while thinking of how she should have joined the same course so she could keep watchful eyes on him.

Then the long-awaited bell chimed, exactly one hour after the sun set. She quickly rushed to the front door, ready to jump and hug (or maybe, pounce) the male, 13-year-old teenager who had managed to make her so worried.

Imagine her surprise, when she saw her brother in a horrible mess. His aquamarine hair was tousled haphazardly, his clothes crumpled and ripped all over, and there were bruises on his whole body (not to mention the amount of blood that accompanied). And with a scream which effect easily matched that of ambulance siren, she brought the whole house into full alert.

Whatever had happened earlier, they never stood a chance of knowing, as Mikuo refused to say anything afterwards. And when Miku led him to his bedroom (her family had given up on asking him, forced to believe that he was too deeply in shock to remember the incident), he stopped walking all of a sudden.

She was about to ask what was wrong, when Mikuo abruptly pulled his hand away from her grasp. Confused, she was able to take a glance at Mikuo's battered face before he walked past her and slammed his bedroom door shut, and she realized…

Something (or maybe, everything) had changed forever since that day.

~•~

Miku awoke with a start; her breathing quickly becoming short gasps and cold sweat were starting to moisten her pretty face. She took a quick glance at the window, and the reddish glow that seeped through must have meant that the sun was already emerging over the firmament.

"What on earth…?" Miku muttered the question in a low voice as she got up and sat on her bed. Her skin must have been perspiring heavily for quite a while, if her wet top was any indication. "Mikuo…"

Ahh, yes… it was that time…

After that day, Mikuo had never been the same. The once bubbly, infectiously cheerful boy had been reduced to a demure, cold young man. That mischievous (though a bit naughty) grin that she had come to love so much, was now nothing but history. If anything, it had been changed into a constant scowl.

And Miku would have been okay with it if only the change was limited to only outer appearances. But no, of course it hadn't been. He became an unreachable, distant person most of the time…if not all. Of course, it wouldn't be her if she didn't at least try anything to coax her little brother out of that mental wall of his. However, her endless effort to get a reaction out of Mikuo had been in vain; it was like trying to melt a might wall of ice with a dimly-lit fire.

Miku shook her head, trying to perish the depressing thoughts that invaded her mind. It wasn't the right time to brood, especially now that her fever had disappeared completely. After all, if the yesterday event had hinted anything, it seemed that their relationship would begin to mend again.

An impulse suddenly appeared, and her right hand instantly obeyed it; it reached and touched the small bruise from yesterday. Remembering what had caused the hickey, the depressing weight which had threatened to overflow in her chest suddenly disappeared. She got up from her bed while shaking her face to extinguish the flowery heat that seemed to flood her cheeks. Yet, the more she tried to perish the thought, the more her enamored brain produced those disturbingly vivid (read: inappropriate) images.

"Ahh… bad thoughts!" she scolded herself while slapping her hot cheeks.

Obviously, it was a useless attempt. Her face was still beet red as she made her way to the bathroom; to take a cold shower, of course.

~•~

One hour later, Miku found herself being unable to smile. Oh yes, her fever was gone, the breakfast was delicious, and the weather was thankfully glorious. However, the one, most essential thing for a smile to cross her face was absent; the presence of one Hatsune Mikuo.

Miku had thought it strange, when her mother had only distributed three sets of meals on the dining table. But she forced herself to restrain from asking, because after seventeen years living amongst her family, she thoroughly understood that for her parents, the morning meal was one of the most sacred time where no words must be uttered so the food could be completely savored.

It was their code before starting the day. And she knew better than violating it; she had twelve years of childhood to know about the consequences.

And so, she waited, though impatiently so. The five minutes her father and mother spent on consuming their food almost felt like five agonizing long hours. And when they were finally finished, Miku was torn between sighing in relief or screaming in frustration.

"Mom…!" she called out to the woman as she brought the dishes to the sink.

"Hm…?" the owner of a gentle voice answered her while receiving the pile of dirty dishes. "What is it, dear?"

"U-um…" somehow, Miku was at loss for words. How should she ask about Mikuo's whereabouts without showing more (Desire? Want? Desperation? Take your pick) than she normally did? "It's…"

"Yes…?" her mother prompted with patience.

Miku took a long breath, and asked, "Where is Mikuo?" she opted for the direct question; subtlety be damned.

"Ah, that brother of yours?" abruptly, her voice became a bit sour, as did her countenance. "He already left at six in the morning. I don't know what he was up to, though; he has never cared to tell me anyway."

Miku flinched visibly at the words, knowing the deep pain hidden by that falsely nonchalant tone. She knew all too well about her mother's circumstances with Mikuo. What kind of mother would be happy if her son suddenly distanced himself away from her, and there was nothing she could do to remedy that?

"Why would he care…?" came the somber voice from their side. "The way he acts now, it is almost as if we don't exist in his eyes. Why even bother if we are as good as nothing to him?"

Then there was her father. Again, masked behind his sarcastic (almost frozen-cold) words, was a grief that could only be translated as a father who had lost his only son forever to an incident he completely had no control over.

After a prolonged silence, her mother was the first one to break out of her reverie. "Miku, dear, shouldn't you be on your way to school?"

"A-ahh, yes…" she answered, stuttering a bit. Miku quickly did the routine of hugging her mother and giving a kiss on her cheek. "Ittekimasu…"

As she made her way to the door, Miku took a last glance to her parents, and she quickly regretted doing so.

Her parents, thinking that Miku wouldn't look back again, released their masks of indifference and finally bared their true emotions. Her mother put both palms over her face, obscuring it as she sniffled, her shoulders shaking harder and harder as the seconds went ticking. And even that sorrowful face her father made was just too much to bear.

The grief, the despair, it was so thick Miku was almost able to see it hovering in the air, and it broke her heart even as she tore her gaze away from them, unable to look for much longer. She barely got out of the room when the tears finally cascaded down her own cheeks, her back sliding down slowly against the cold wall.

~•~

She exited the house three minutes later; this time with a new resolved look drawn on her feature. She had enough of this nightmare, and she simply couldn't let it continue any longer than it had for the last three years. Mikuo was her beloved little brother, and she would stop at nothing to get the old him back.

No matter what.

That was her decision. And she would get it done at any cost.

**To be Continued**

A/N: As you can see for yourself, this chapter indicates just how important the event in the first chapter to the whole plot. And yes, Mikuo truly has never showed such affection to Miku until that prologue. For three years. Imagine that.

Ah, I almost forgot. Please do remember to give me your comment on this chapter. I don't really care what it is (be it flame, critic, or just plain review), as long I can see the proof that you find this story acceptable (I still don't dare to say it is interesting; that will be way too cocky of me), that will be enough to satisfy me.

Thank you for reading!

**Galerians, out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Galerians, in.**

Summary: He was supposed to be her cute, if a bit whiny, baby brother. But since when did that change?

A/N: I don't really know what to write in tis' Author's Note section now, since I already told ye any announcement I wanted to say in the last chapter. So, let's just get on with the story, shall we? Ah, but I'm warning ye, I'm not really that good of an author, so I'll apologize in advance if ye find it disappointing.

Setting: AU, AR, or canon, I can't be sure. Since I don't know what kind of story would be considered canon in tis' fandom.

Disclaimer: Y'know, I'm just a college student, an ex-delinquent, a stupid young man in his eighteen who doesn't even have a part-time job. Now from where would I get the money to buy Vocaloid copyright? That's as crazy as trying to grab the moon!

Symbol warning:

(ooo): Flashback start

(xxx): Flashback end

Enjoy!

**Struggling to Reach You**

5 minutes before the first bell chimed, Miku sat restlessly on her chair, fingers tapping on the wooden table below. Most of her classmates had settled nicely on their chair, with the exceptions of the few that still had the excitement to chat over soccer games from the last night, or just plain everyday problems of high school teenagers. Like boyfriends, girlfriends, homework, acnes… and the list went on and on.

Yeah, how so very trivial.

Miku resisted the urge to grit her teeth and growled; that'd have been unfeminine of her. These people really had the audacity to look so carefree and relaxed, while she here had to squeeze her brain out just to think of one way to solve her own dilemma; which she hadn't triumphed over yet, by the way. After all, her problem was that of three-year-old rust in a relationship that could not be omitted by any physical means.

She sighed a long, exasperated breath. She had to stop thinking like this; her classmates barely knew anything about her problem. If anything, it was her fault to begin with; she was the one who never did anything to shorten this distance that was built between her and her most precious person.

In the midst of her musing, suddenly the door slid in front of her, instantly escalating her hope. Not long after, only a groan escaped her mouth as the tealette buried her face in her arms, at the sight of one bright yellow haired girl entering the class and approaching her.

"Miku…!" a loud, cheerful voice crashed onto her eardrum. "I need to ask you something!

The girl raised her head while forcing a weak smile to cross her face. "…What is it, Akita-san?"

"Do you have any idea here Mikuo is?" she asked nonchalantly, not realizing the twitch of Miku's right eye when she asked that. "I've searched the whole school, but I can't seem to find him…!"

"Have you tried the backyard?" Miku said randomly, she didn't really need (or want) to prolong this conversation.

"The backyard? Why, is he having shady business there?"

"W-what…? No…!" Miku looked at her incredulously. "Why would you think of that? Mikuo would never do something like that…!"

"But you said he is at the backyard," the girl with side pigtail answered, as if it was the clearest thing in the world. "And that place's supposed to be off-ground for students. Why else would he be there?"

Miku stood up to her full height. "I did NOT say he is at the backyard," she said, each words containing harsher tone that the last. "I merely said that he MIGHT be there, since you searched the whole place and still couldn't find him…!"

Neru merely stared for a moment before saying, "Ohh~, that's right…!" she turned around and ran to the door, stopping momentarily to swung back to Miku for a last regard. "Thanks for the help…!"

Miku waved back weakly, and finally slumped against her table when Neru disappeared from her sight. Whatever conversations they'd ever had, they always seemed to tire her out and exhaust her mind. That girl, Akita Neru, seemed to have that effect on her.

No, it didn't mean she hate her. She was a beautiful, typical high school idol any boy would dream of every night. To top it off, she also had an honest, if also air-headed, attitude that somehow served to make her more popular and liked by almost everyone in every education institute she goes to. However, it was also no secret that she was infatuated deeply by Mikuo. And Neru, being a veracious person as she was, did not hold anything back and showed that she fancied him in any way and any moment possible.

She wouldn't have cared; that girl could take the attention of the whole school and she wouldn't even give a damn. But nooo, she HAD to fawn over Mikuo… HER Mikuo. And for that, Miku just couldn't find it in herself to like the yellow haired girl.

Time flew by as her thoughts took another halt; the first bell finally rang. She quickly took another look at her class, easily so since her position was on the right corner of the front seats, giving her an advantage to have a full view of her classroom just by a side glance.

All her classmates were there, except for one.

"Mikuo…" she mumbled almost without outputting any volume. "Just where are you…?"

Now, I assume an explanation is in order. They, despite Miku being a year older than her little brother, were actually on the same grade.

No, it wasn't because Mikuo skipped a grade, and it absolutely wasn't because Miku failed one. The reason they were in the same grade was because of Miku's furious insistence to her parents that they enrolled the elementary school at the same time, so she could watch over and protect her frail baby brother all the time.

Their parents, who still didn't understand how adamant Miku could be, had outright refused the idea, since all the preparations for Miku's enrollment had been made.

The next day, to show her determination, Miku locked herself in her bedroom before reinforcing the door with various objects—varying from bolts, books, chair, to wardrobe.

God knows how she was able to do so. I mean, that wardrobe was 5 times her size!

Anyway, it had gone for almost half a day before her parents resigned and promised that they would let her enter school next year, at the same time as Mikuo.

From that day onwards, let it be known that Goddess Fortuna hated her. And I mean really, REALLY hated her. If not, how come she didn't get to be in the same class as her beloved brother… for eleven years straight?

Nevertheless, she never complained. She believed that someday her hope would finally be regarded, and it really, finally was, in her last grade of senior high school. Now, she just needed to make the best out of this.

Anyway, let's conclude the past and go back to the present.

Even when all her classmates had their butts on the chair and their arms folded upon the table, the lone seat at the left corner of the classroom, right beside the window, was still empty. Miku almost decided then and there to skip the homeroom to look for Mikuo out of anxiety when the door opened and the form of one Kamui Gakupo, their homeroom teacher, appeared.

The purple haired man put his book onto the table and turned around to regard his students, "Good morning, class."

There were collective sounds of monotone "Good morning." before all went quiet again.

The teacher nodded in satisfaction; he took his attendance book and started calling out names.

As the list went on, the beating in Miku's chest became even stronger. And although Gakupo-sensei had reached the initial 'H', Mikuo still had yet to be seen. 'Uh~, Mikuo, you're so going to get into trouble…'

"Hatsune Mikuo."

There was a moment of breath interval, before a certain voice was audible. "Present."

It only took 3 seconds before several—well… many, actually—heads whipped around, Miku's included. Lo and behold, there he was, sitting nonchalantly with his head propped up on one hand, his left metal piercing reflecting some of the sunlight.

"What the…?"

"When did he get in?"

"No. More precisely, HOW did he get in?"

"I didn't even hear a sound from the door…!"

The many whispers were silenced, however, when their teacher raised his left hand and snapped his finger; his usual, unique way of hushing his students. "Mikuo-san, where've you been, if I may ask?"

Mikuo raised his head and looked at his teacher levelly, "Outside," he gestured at the open window with his chin. "I was enjoying the morning sun. Any problem?"

Gakupo-sensei frowned for a moment before walked to the window and looked over the sill. "As much as I appreciate your attempt in ridicule, I must ask you to stop it. There's nothing outside."

"Of course there is. Can't you see that ledge?"

"Wha…? D-don't tell me you were just sitting there…!"

"What? It's wide enough to sit on."

"But you… that's… we're on the third floor!" the tall man exploded, having lose his calm. A few seconds later, he let out a long sigh before groaning in resignation. "Ugh, forget it. Delving in this matter won't do me any good," He stopped, pondering a bit before adding, "You abnormal."

Mikuo leaned back against his chair with a smug smile. "Glad you realized it."

Gakupo-sensei glared at Mikuo for a short moment—which he just ignored, by the way—before continuing taking attendance. And while his attention was once again occupied, Miku hastily stole a glance at Mikuo's direction, hoping to meet his eyes. Sadly, her wish was denied when Mikuo took that precise moment to close his eyes, comforting himself using the gust of wind blowing through the window.

Miku looked forward again, not without feeling a tad bit dejected. But she quickly cheered up, knowing that later she would have much, much time.

~•~

Two weeks after the aforementioned resolution, the teal haired girl once again strode upon the road to her school. Her head was hung low, with an occasional sigh leaving her blushing-pink colored lips. She knew that she should have appreciated the beautiful day the world graced her with, but after the event in the morning, her mood was already too ruined even just to smile.

(ooo)

Miku was humming a beautiful tone, while once again flipping the skillet before turning the stove off and walked to the table, where she skillfully poured the content into a white ceramic plate. Once finished, she lifted it and took one whiff before pulling away with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Favorite breakfast done!" she announced with a happy twirl, carefully so that the plate of food in her hands wouldn't spill. "Now I just have to-"

Her thoughts processes took a sudden halt when she heard faint footsteps on the other side of the kitchen door. Her smile wavered, as she took hasty steps towards the door and opened it.

Her suspicion was correct.

"Mikuo…!" she called out loud to the quickly retreating form of her one and only brother. "Where are you going? I've made breakfast for you…!"

The boy, who was now clad in his school uniform, didn't even bother to look back and just kept striding to the front door. "I'm skipping it." He said briefly over his shoulder. "I've got something urgent to do."

"W-wait…!" Miku stuttered, realizing that her time was fast approaching its end as Mikuo put on his shoes. "L-look, I made your favorite…! Can't you at least taste it?"

Mikuo stopped, and it really elated Miku to see him turning around to take a look. But her hope was crushed when she heard annoyed sigh left his mouth.

"I've no time," He answered simply. "Just eat it yourself."

"B-but…!"

"What now?" Mikuo snapped, fully turning around but with only a scowl adorning his face. "Can't you see I'm in a hurry? Quit wasting my time!" He spat, ignoring how his big sister's eyes had started to water as she looked down to the food in her hand. "Jeez, you're so annoying…!"

Miku flinched when the sound of door slamming was audible. Still looking down, tears began to cascade down upon her flawless cheeks, gathering on her chin before descending. Not long after, her small shoulder started to shake as she bit her lips, yet still failing to hold the sobs at bay, the result of her broken heart.

Gleaming, salty tears kept spilling on the ceramic plate and ruining the food on it. But Miku didn't care. That food had lost its meaning, after all.

(xxx)

Miku was, for the lack of better word, getting impatient; even her determination was slowly crumbling away. And all of that was because despite her best exertion to pursue this endeavor of hers, she was still clearly not making any progress.

No, it certainly wasn't caused by insufficient effort from her side. Quite the opposite, she had been trying her hardest to approach the man in question in multiple ways. Varying from making small talks, trying to crack up jokes that she thought were funny, to offering him any help she could afford just so that they could spend a bit of time together.

In short, it was almost as if her whole being was dedicated to him.

So what was the problem?

She had suspicion, of course. But it was only today that she finally realized what hindered her from progressing. It was because that boy, who was brusque almost all the time, was avoiding her.

She had thought it strange. After that day where it all began, Mikuo always seemed to have reasons to skip breakfast, which was usually followed by him leaving the house before Miku could stop him. Not only that, he seemed to have become some sorta wraith at school period. Always appearing exactly right before his name was called in homeroom, and disappearing almost instantly in every break between classes, gone off to Lord-knows-where. And everyday he would come home late, skipping dinner altogether.

Still, it didn't mean that Miku wasn't able to get her chances, though, if only very few. At some point, she would be able to catch Mikuo, where she would try to talk to him. Unfortunately, each conversation was always accompanied by certain awkwardness, and Miku kept getting the feeling that he was eager to end it, which he usually did. She would persist, of course, but then he would snap at her for being so annoying, with so much grumpiness that it sometimes filled her eyes with tears of hurt as she watched him walk away.

She heaved another pained sigh as she took another turn, more with instinct than anything. With the longing for him growing ever so greatly, she wondered just how much more her heart could withstand before the sadness exploded it into small pieces.

As the sight of her school became more visible with each step she took, she realized that she had been unconsciously taking small glances at every direction in search of one certain figure. But at the realization that finding him was fast becoming as hard as attempting to grab the wind, she slumped down again, far too upset to acknowledge a few greetings directed at her.

Why had it become like this?

She had thought that after that event in her room in the period of her illness, they would finally be able to become closer again. She had hoped that his touches and kisses—which shouldn't have happened between simple siblings—would mean something special, that he harbored the same feeling as what she had kept inside for years.

But with the ways things were now, it was like the door to his heart had become more closed off to her that ever before.

A tiny part of her heart was still clinging desperately to that hope, but even that was becoming smaller with every day that went by. She had thought that she could fix this by taking it step by step, but now she realized that in order to succeed, she had to resort to drastic measures.

This was a gamble she was forced to make. And she could only hope that things would turn out for the better, and not the other way around.

**To be Continued**

A/N: Even though I do admit that I wrote it myself, I just can't help but resent Mikuo's attitude in this chapter! Pardon my language, but he really is a f*ck*ng bastard! Ugh, I hate myself for not being able to bend the story! If not for the sake of plot, I'd love to rewrite the whole chapter just to make it easier on my eyes! …But alas, I can't.

Uwah, I really shouldn't get that emotional over my own story.

As always, I don't really give a damn what it is (be it flame, critic, or just plain review), as long I can see the proof that ye find this story acceptable, it shall be sufficient to sate me.

Thanks for reading!

**Galerians, out.**


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